AMD opts for two-in-one approach

CPU and GPU maker AMD has launched its Radeon HD 3870 X2 graphics card in a bid to strike a chord with demanding gamers.

CPU and GPU maker AMD has launched its Radeon HD 3870 X2 graphics card in a bid to strike a chord with demanding gamers. The latest graphics product from the firm combines two Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) on a single Printed Circuit Board (PCB).

"PC gaming enthusiasts demand the ultimate in performance and scalability for their HD gaming experience and the Radeon 3870 X2 sets the standard by which all should be compared in the segment," said Gautam Srivastava, the vice president of sales and marketing, and managing director of AMD Middle East, Pakistan and Africa.

Cards based on AMD's 3870 X2 design feature two Radeon HD 3870 GPUs - originally launched in November of last year. The firm claims this combination is the first in the industry to offer over one trillion floating point operations per second. AMD also claims X2 cards offer nearly double the graphics performance of standard single GPU 3870 models.

The GPUs powering this graphics card support Microsoft's forth-coming DirectX 10.1 rendering technology, which many industry players are referring to as an ‘evolutionary' upgrade over DirectX 10. X2 cards also support AMD's multi-GPU CrossFireX technology, meaning users can combine two such cards using a compatible motherboard, for faster graphics performance. (X2 cards only support two-way CrossFireX however whereas cards based on the older 3850 and 3870 GPUs can be combined in four-way configurations.)

3870 X2 graphics cards from vendors such as HIS and Sapphire are already on their way to stores around the region and are expected to retail for approximately US $449.